Trip in Time: Early aviators in the San Francisco Bay Area

Patricia Kendall's journey into aviation began as a clerk for the United States forest patrol. From the local office in Alameda, she directed pilots to fires around California and gathered data.

One day in 1931, with a student's license in hand, Pat went for her first solo flight around the bay and soon after joined the pilot staff of the San Francisco Bay Airdrome in Alameda in September of that year.

At the Airdrome, Pat became aide to Douglas Warren, head of the division of air traffic law enforcement.

Appointed by Alameda Police Chief Vernon Smith after the passing of Warren, Pat became the country's first official air cop, according to newspaper reports.

Pat and her pet poodle, Goofus, kept the air and homes of Alameda safe from daredevil fliers long before the days of commercial airfare.

Join "Trip in Time" online for a photo slideshow of Pat and her poodle and other pilots from the early days of aviation including Lee Ya-Ching, Weldon Cooke, Myrten Johnston, Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, Lester Maitland and more.